Abstract: A control device for a matrix printer in which the mechanical printing elements of the matrix printer are selectively triggered by the control device a certain time before they reach the desired printing spot on the information carrier in order to compensate for the fact that the printing head will move further over a certain distance between the triggering moment and the moment that the printing element actually hits the information carrier. This distance depends on the speed of the printing element. If the print signal, however, is always generated a constant distance before the printing element reaches the desired printing spot, this signal must be delayed as a function of the speed of the printing element if the printing head is to print accurately also during its run-up and slow-down. To this end, a delay device is provided which delays the print signal for the relevant printing element by a time interval which depends on the printing head speed.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement generates a preset number of output pulses each time between two consecutive input pulses, the distance between the input pulses being subject to variation. The output pulses should be approximately evenly distributed, which even distribution, however, cannot be maintained when the cycle of the input pulses changes. To achieve first and foremost that the total number of output pulses is reached as quickly as possible in the case of a change in the input pulse cycle, the circuit includes a first counter device, which supplies a measure for the cycle duration of the input pulses in relation to a clock pulse, and this measure is used as a preset value for the next cycle for a further counter, which counts down the preset value in period with the clock pulses.

Abstract: In matrix printers, the printing elements in the printing head are frequently arranged so that they do not correspond to the printing raster of the characters to be printed so that the informations delivered for each time a printing column at the same time must be delayed a time. For this purpose, a delay device is assigned to each printing element of a matrix printer, the delay times for each device representing paths mutually depending upon the orientation and spacing of the printing elements in the printing head and being determined by the time interval between a common writing pulse and individual element read-out pulses, which are produced by a shift register, in which the writing pulse is shifted at a relatively high rate depending upon the head position, the read-out pulses for the elements being produced by tappings on the shift register.